Pavement and method of constructing the same.



J. A. OMBERG, Jn. PAVEMENT AND METHOD oF GONSTRUGTING THB SAME.

APPLIOLTION FILED JUNE 27, 1908.'

Patented 13.11.26, 1909.

wwntoz arma' JAMES ADOEPIEUS OMBEEG. JE.. 0E MEMPEis, ,TENNESSEEPAVEMENT ANI) METHOD OF GONSTRUGTING- THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent. Y

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed. June 2 7, 1998. Serial No. 440,678.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES AnoLPHUs OMBERG, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPavements and Methods of Constructing the Same, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in pavements andmethod of constructing the same, and particularly to that portion of apavement adjacent to and between street car tracks.

The essential objects of the invention are; (l) to construct a cheap anddurable pavement between the rails of a street car or tramway system 3(2) to employ metal reinforcements adjacent to the track rails so as tosecure exactly the same effect as is obtained Vfrom the grooved railand, (3) to bind together solidly the two rails of a single track, orthe four rails of a double track in such manner that an unequalsettlement of the rails is made practically impossible.

Vith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists of theimproved pavement and the improved method of constructing the same,which I will hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and inwhich similar letters of reference indicate like parts Figure 1, is across-sectional view of aT-rail and a portion of the pavement betweenthe same and an adjacent rail. Fig. 2, is a similar view showing a railof modified form.

In carrying out my invention I may use either the well known formofT-rail A of Fig. l, or the equally well-known flanged rail A of Fig.2, these rails representing a portion of the track of a street-car ortramway system. These rails are secured to the top of the crosstie inthe usual manner and the space between adjacent parallel track rails andoverlying the tie, is filled with gravel concrete of any well knowncharacter. The upper portion of this filling consists, preferably, ofhard sharp stones and concrete of a depth of one inch, more or less, andin this surface is suitably placed a steel netting or other foraminoussheet, B, adapted to form a light steel reinforcement immediately underthe top surface of the concrete and designed to impart more or lesselasticity to said surface. This reinforcement has also the function oflargely preventing the concrete wearing into holes; it also permits theconcrete surface to be more effectively rep aired, when necessary, withgrout or other appropriate material. Because of the use of the metalreinforcement just below the top surface of the pavement, when thepavement wears, the steel reinforcement will be exposed through the wornparts and the meshes of the steel will receive the new concrete and thusenable it to form a perfect bond between itself and the old concrete.

The top of the pavement is preferably slightly crowning, and adjacent toeach rail and embed ded in the concrete filling between the rails sothat its upper surface will form a continuation of the top of thepavement, is a structural-iron, C, of T-shape or other appropriate formone edge of which is adjacent and inclined relative to the head orflange of the rail whereby this embedded rail forms a metalreinforcement adjacent to the head of the rail and serves, also, to forma groove or channel alongside the rail and thereby produce the sameeffect as the ordinary grooved rail commonly employed in street car ortramway construction. The cross-sectional form of this embeddedreinforcement or structural-shape is immaterial. In the drawing I haveshown this rail as having aT-form in cross-section and when embedded, asshown, its fiange C, is arranged at an angle to the perpendicular. Therail C is of a well recognized form of structural iron and one which isreadily purchasable in the markets, but I wish it understood that myinvention is not limited to this particular form of rail but includesany form of metal reinforcement disposed adjacent to this main rail andwith itsv surface substantially flush with the top surface of thepavement.

By reason of the construction herein shown and described I am enabled toconstruct a cheap and durable pavement between the rails of a street caror tramway system, and to employ a metal reinforcement adjacent to eachmain rail so as to secure exactly the same effect as will be obtained bythe use of the more expensive grooved rail. I am further enabled by theconstruction shown and described to bind together solidly two rails of asingle track or the four rails to a double track in such manner that thepossibility of unequal settlement of rails is reduced to a minimum; infact such settlement is made practically impossible.

By reason of the reinforcement, B, or steel netting embedded just belowthe top surface of the pavement, more or less elasticity is provided forthe pavement, which eliminates argely the wear of the pavements intoholes but if holes should wear, the steel netting would be exposed andprovision would thus be made for receiving new grout which would beenabled to join with and form a perfect bond with the old grout orfilling underlying the netting or other reinforcement.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is l. A street car or other track comprising track rails,a lling of concrete between said rails, and a reinforcement ofstructural metal having a part embedded in the concrete and having anupper surface exposed adjacent to each track rail and lying parallelwith said rail to form a groove or channel along the inside of the headof the rail.

2. A street-car or other track comprising trackrails, a filling ofconcrete between said rails, a reinforcement of metal fabric embedded inthe concrete slightly below the top concrete iilling at the inner sidethereof said iilling having a slightly crowned form and having areinforcing fabric7 as steel netting, embedded therein slightly belowthe top surface, and a T-iron having one flange embedded in the concreteat an angle to the perpendicular, and having other iianges substantiallyiiush with the crowned top surface of said iilling, said T-iron beingarranged parallel with and proxiinateto the track-rail and adapted toform a groove or channel alongside the rail.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ADOLPHUS OMBERG, JR. Witnesses:

W. H. TAYLOR, GEO. E. TAYLOR.

